This cheerful fellow singing his heart out astride a horse who clearly doesn’t rate his master’s musical prowess was an amusing way to advertise the taco special at Rick’s Rancho in Santa Maria, California.

A motor hotel designed for business and pleasure, there were 120 guest rooms, a heated swimming pool, recreation room and playground, a television lounge and a 24-lane bowling alley.

Located on ten acres at 1520 North Broadway in Santa Maria, it was run by hosts known only as Mr and Mrs Rick’ whose business motto was ‘Quality with Informality.’

The street taco started in Mexico and was first introduced to the United States in 1905 when Mexican migrants arrived to work on the railroads. Women called the Chili Queens of San Antonio, Texas, began selling them on the street and at festivals and the spicy food, unfamiliar to the American palate, was described as ‘biting like a serpent.’

Today, Americans eat an estimated 4.5 billion tacos every year and account for about half of the world’s taco consumption.

We think Rick’s Rancho closed in the early 70s.